The Lost Heroine
by praetorsgrace
Summary: Reyna has a memory problem. She can't seem to remember anything about herself since before she woke up on a bus headed towards the Grand Canyon. Piper has a secret. A giant has her father, and she has to betray her friends to get him back. Leo has a way with tools. Although he fits right in, he also stands out. Reyna and Annabeth switched AU.
1. I

Reyna woke up on a bus, surrounded by people that she didn't know.

She pulled her head off the window, rubbing her temple. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't even remember who _she _was. The only thing she had was faint impressions- she was around sixteen, she always wore her hair in a braid, and that she shouldn't be on this bus.

The girl next to her must have felt her shift, because she turned to face her. "Oh hey, Rey. You awake?"

The girl was very pretty, despite her obvious efforts to hide it. She had choppy brown hair with braids, eyes that seemed to change color and a sense of confidence to her. The nickname must have meant that they were friends.

Reyna's eyebrows knit together. "Who are you?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "I'm Piper. Reyna, are you alright?"

Before she could open her mouth and respond that no, she was not alright, a boy stuck his head over the seat. He had curly black hair, a small, impish face, and a smile that made Reyna scowl at him immediately. "C'mon, Rey. All the jokes in the world, and you go for that one? Sometimes I re-think our friendship."

"Leo, I think she's serious." Piper responded, looking at her with concern. "Do you really not remember me? Or Leo?"

Reyna shook her head no. "It's not just that. I don't remember who I am."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Well, crash course for you. Us three are all super close. I'm the leader of our three amigos- you both do all of my chores, give me your desserts, and buy me things because you love me."

Piper swatted him. "Leo, stop it."

He sighed. "Okay, fine. We all go to this Wilderness School- where the kids are the animals." He joked, looking at Reyna for a reaction. He didn't get one. "It's for us 'troubled kids'. I'm a runaway, and Piper over there stole a car."

She turned red, sending him a cross look, as if they had already had this conversation. "I didn't steal it."

Before they could continue the fight, Reyna butted in. "Why am I here?"

Leo opened his mouth to reply, but his expression turned puzzled. Soon, even Piper had the look on her face. After a moment, they both looked to her, astonished. "You must have told us, I mean…"

"What's my last name?" She asked, and again they couldn't answer.

"This is freaky. It's not like we just imagined-" Leo began, before he was cut off.

"Cupcakes! We're almost to the Grand Canyon. For my sake, please no throwing each other off it. I don't want to be doing the paperwork." A short man stood, only his baseball cap and bat visible before she craned her neck. He had beady eyes and a gruff expression, a whistle hanging around his neck.

"That's Coach Hedge." Piper supplied, before he glared at her. "Back row, I thought I already told you-"

Leo grinned, before winking at Reyna. "Watch this." He turned back around to face Hedge. "Hey Coach, I can't hear you. Would you mind using your megaphone?"

The coach huffed, although seemed to be pleased to use it. He lifted it to his mouth, before farm animal noises began to spill from it, causing him to regain his glare.

"Valdez! That's it- back row, you get to do the dishes!"

The bus cheered, and the Coach met her eyes. Although it didn't seem possible, he glared even more at her. She felt a sudden jolt- he knew that she wasn't supposed to be here. At the same time, she felt a surge of relief- she wasn't just an amnesiac who felt as if they didn't belong. She actually didn't belong.

The bus pulled to a stop, and the Coach's eyes went away and back out to the other kids. "Get with your partners and do your worksheets. Anyone not back on the bus when we leave gets left, you hear me?"

He left the bus, and Piper turned to face her, irritation on her face. Within a few seconds, another boy had joined them, hooking arms with Piper. "Ready, partner? I bet you're excited."

She rolled her eyes. "No, not really, Dylan. We're only partners because this was assigned."

The boy's smile didn't move, and he laughed. "Well then, lucky you. Let's go!" Just before they turned to leave, his eyes flashed on Reyna, and his expression was a mix of surprise and anger, before it was gone, then so was he.

Leo leaned back over the seat, sighing loudly. "Oh, I'm so handsome. I would be my own partner, but that would be too much hotness to handle, so you're the lucky girl today!" He made kissing faces at Reyna, and she made a face.

"Leo, are you always this weird?" She asked.

He nodded, his smile growing. "Yes ma'am. Now c'mon, we're partners. Hope you have your worksheet, because mine is spitballs on the back of Dylan's boots."

…

Reyna's hands wrapped tightly around the metal bar, her knuckles turning white as she peered over the edge of the Grand Canyon. It was wild and long, looking like some God had taken a knife to it- maybe Mars, or Bellona. Someone with a temper.

Mars? Bellona? Her head began to burn, and she put her face in her hands. Where had those names came from? They sounded so familiar, yet foreign, that it made her head pound.

"You okay?" Leo asked, still messing around with his pipe cleaners. Throwing it over the edge, it flew to the middle before dropping. She shrugged, before noticing the coach all alone.

"I'll be back, Leo." Reyna walked off, shoving the worksheet at him.

She walked over to the Coach. She was taller than him, seeing he was at an even five feet. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest, as if he was waiting for her.

"You. Are you the monster, then?" He questioned, causing her to raise an eyebrow.

"What? Uh, no."

"Then who are you?"

"I don't know, sir. I can't remember anything." She answered truthfully.

He uncrossed his arms and looked at her, frowning. "I believe you. It would explain why you just suddenly showed up. Besides, you're obviously a half blood. Did the camp send you?"

She shook her head, and he frowned. "Perfect. Now I have to protect the three of you. The extraction team should be here soon, though. They'll take you all to Camp. "

The winds began to pick up, blowing Reyna's braid into her face. Then they began to get even worse, as if a hurricane had suddenly dropped down onto them.

"Not this." Coach muttered, before yelling at the students to get inside. Piper and Dylan held the doors open, all the students running in. Just before Leo could make it in, the doors slammed shut, leaving the three of them, Coach, Dylan, and two other boys on the outside.

Piper pulled on the doors, trying to force them to open. "Help me, Dylan!" She yelled at him, over the roar of the wind.

"Sorry, Piper. I'm done helping." He flicked his hand, and she slammed into the door, rolling down to the floor, dazed.

Slowly, Dylan and his lackeys began to shift, changing shape. They looked like the wind if it had a body, which made Leo's eyes go wide.

"You're losing your nose, grandpa! We've been here the whole time, under your watch, and you didn't even notice!" The ex-Dylan laughed, before sticking out his hand, and having a gust send Leo over the railing.

"Damn it. Reyna, you keep him occupied. I'll get him." Coach ordered, kicking off his shoes.

"What? How?" She demanded, before seeing his feet. There weren't any- there were hooves instead. "You're a faun." She stated, and he bleated.

"Satyr! Fauns are Roman. Now keep him busy!" He shouted, climbing over the edge for Leo.

Reyna turned back to the storm spirits, gripping the club. Dylan smirked, and she threw it hard at him, managing to nail his head and cause golden liquid- blood, she realized- to fall from his forehead.

Despite this, he smiled. "My mistress said to wait. I could have attacked at any time. A third was coming, someone special."

Reyna's hand found her way into her pocket, and she pulled out a silver ring. It had a torch and sword crossed over one another, a symbol that she felt she should know. Gripping it tight, it began to grow in her hand, until she was holding a five foot tall spear, completely golden with a purple handhold.

An astonished laugh came from Dylan as he looked at her. "Well well, look what we have here. She said you were special, but I didn't think she meant that we'd get one of the Praetors of the Twelfth Legion!"

The title sent a shiver of pride down her back, as if she should know it. Piper, finally recovering, picked up the club that had rolled over towards her. She gripped it tightly, pretending to still be out.

"Well then, boys. Knock the queen off her throne, will you?"

The two other spirits charged her. As if rehearsed, she ran the first one through the head with her spear, and he disenagrated into dust. The other made a swipe at her, but she ducked and rolled, coming back up and stabbing him through the gut, before he too was gone.

Dylan looked beyond angry as he took a step towards her. Coach Hedge came back over the side with Leo, groaning. "Cupcake! I told you to distract them, not kill them! Leave me a challenge, would you?"

"I just got thrown off the Grand Canyon! Stop asking for challenges!" Leo yelled.

Piper, sensing the time, began to get to her feet shakily.

Dylan, however, was oblivious to the fact. Angrily, he lifted his hand and the air smelled of electricity. Somehow, the feeling was familiar, and somehow she knew to dodge to the side.

The lightning didn't hit her full on, but did manage to shock her through her spear, and send her flying back into the railing, and almost over it. She dropped her spear, and it fell into the canyon. Grasping the railing, she pulled herself over to safety.

The lightning had turned her hand black, burning it slightly. She pulled off her destroyed jacket, revealing a purple shirt as she stepped forward into the chaos. It was instantly whipped away by the winds.

Piper swung hard at Dylan, hitting the back of his head and sending him flying. Despite the fact his head was heavily bleeding now, he smiled smugly. "My mistress calls and I will take you!" He grabbed Piper's arm, before starting to take off.

Piper managed to free herself at the last minute, causing him to take Leo instead. Coach yelled and jumped on him, and let go of Leo, causing him to hit the ground hard. This time, Dylan took off, but with Coach Hedge in tow.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know how this is so far, and if you would read more if I wrote it. Also, would you like to see Piper and Leo's POV as well, or just Reyna? This story will differ from the Lost Hero, due to the difference in characters. Thank you all so much, it means the world to me. 3**


	2. II

Still stunned from watching Coach Hedge being kidnapped by 'Dylan', Reyna managed to pull herself up and off the ground, shakily on her feet.

Reyna and Piper rallied to Leo, who was groaning in pain. The storm had finally let go, letting them get to him easily.

"Did that just happen? Or am I finally ready for that asylum that my fifth foster parents talked about?" Leo questioned, eyes closed.

"It happened." Reyna stated simply.

Piper looked at her strangely. "What was that? The spear, the fighting, the thing about the Praetor of the Tenth Legion-"

"Twelfth." Reyna corrected. "And honestly? I still have no clue where I learned to do that." She reached her hand in her pocket, and pulled out the ring again. It felt painfully familiar, and yet, she still couldn't place it.

"Do you see the flying horses too?" Leo interrupted, staring at the sky. At first, Reyna was tempted to tell him that he just might have been going crazy. Then she saw them descending towards them- two flying horses pulling a chariot.

She watched them circle overhead once, before beginning to descend towards them. "Coach Hedge said there was an extraction team coming… that must be them."

"Extraction?" Leo asked. "That sounds painful."

Reyna didn't answer as the UFO began to become clearer. It was a chariot, pulled by two peguses. Inside were two boys- one extremely muscular, the other with a mop of black hair and green eyes. Seeing the second boy sent a flash of anger through her.

They landed, taking in the situation. The boy with the black hair noticed Reyna was the only one who looked fairly unshaken, not to mention the one in charge, and turned on her. "What happened?" He asked, his eyes staring her down.

She did her best to explain, an edge in her voice, with Piper and Leo throwing in tiny details that she missed. When she brought up the Venti, they nodded, as if expecting it. "That explains the storm." The muscular dude said, before looking over Reyna.

"Percy, look." He nodded to her. His eyes went to her hand- still blackened from the lightning. "The girl with the burned hand." Turning her arm, she hid her hand from the stares of not only the boys, but now Piper and Leo.

"Have you seen a girl around here? Named Annabeth?" Percy questioned. Reyna shook her head. She'd never heard of anyone with that name before.

Percy frowned deeply for a moment. "She was supposed to be here." He muttered angrily, before looking back up at her, his eyes flared. "You're sure?" She nodded curtly, feeling threatened. Her hand went to her ring-spear, twisting it, as if expecting a fight. However, the fire died down a little bit, and he shook his head, turning to Butch. "Let's get out of here before the storm spirits come back."

He turned away and headed back, causing Butch to shake his head. "What's his problem?" Reyna asked, a scowl on her face.

"Don't be too hard on him. His girlfriend, Annabeth, just up and disappeared three days ago. This was supposed to be the answer, coming here." Butch informed, glancing over at him carefully. "Find the girl with the burned hand, find the answer."

Leading them to the chariot, Butch ushered them in, and they stepped up behind Percy. Setting her hand on the outside, Reyna gripped it tightly. Just the touch send a shiver down her spine, caused her to tense. She'd seen one before- but where she didn't know, per usual.

"You ok?" Piper asked, glancing at her, obviously concerned. She realized she'd been holding on tight enough to turn her knuckles on her good hand white, a scowl on her face. Uncurling her hand, she nodded.

Whipping the reigns, the pegasi took off, flapping their wings and sending them into the air. Looking back at Leo, he was jumping all over, looking over the edge and being way too casual, especially with there being no room. "How cool is this?" He asked Piper, who ignored him, looking awfully pale.

The sky crackled, thunder sounding all around them. "Not that I don't like this, but where are we going?" Leo questioned, glancing up at Percy.

"Camp Half-Blood," he told them simply, turning back to look at them. "The only safe place for kids like us."

"Half Blood?" Piper repeated, her eyebrows raised. The way she took personal offence, Reyna guessed that the mean girls must have used it often against her. "Please tell me that's a bad joke."

"He means we're demigods." Reyna answered, the words tumbling from her mouth, as if she'd spoken them before. "Half human, half God."

Percy and Butch both raised an eyebrow at one another, sending a look, before they turned back to Reyna. "You seem to know a lot, Reyna. But she's right. My father is Poseidon, god of the sea. Butch's mom is Iris, the rainbow goddess."

From behind, Leo choked, and despite barely knowing him, she resisted the urge to smack him for what was coming next. "The rainbow goddess?" He repeated.

"You have a problem with that?" He asked, dangerously calm, the way adults got when they were forced to be patient with little kids.

"No, no… Rainbows and Ponies, very macho." Leo replied, his impish grin barely hidden.

"I'm going to toss you off this chariot."

Piper ignored them, looking at Percy. "Wait, you mean to tell me that… my mom would be-"

Reyna cut her off as the lightning struck again, this time hitting the chariot. "Wheel and axle are on fire!" She called, earning a few choice words from Butch.

"You three better hang on!" Percy yelled, his voice barely carrying through the wind. "This is about to get ten times more difficult than it needed to be!"

With Percy's warning, the pegasi suddenly sped up, and seemed to bend even the light around them. The sky turned dark and Reyna's stomach lept into her throat. She hung on for dear life, before suddenly the sky shifted back to normal, revealing the new landscape.

Below them, there was a grey ocean, with a green-and-white forest opposite. Spread out in front, however, were Greek-styled temples and cabins, met with courts, a large house, a climbing wall on fire, archery targets, and a lake- which they were heading right for.

Before any of them could say a word, the wheels fled from the chariot, and they dropped towards the water.

Just as they were to hit, however, the water seemed to reach up, as if to catch them. It stopped the fall of the chariot, but only Butch and Leo, who were in the front, had the common sense to duck. The wave shook the broken chariot, spilling out Piper, Reyna, and even Percy.

The water was freezing, seeping into her bones. It was only once she was close to the bottom, she realized that she couldn't swim.

Thankfully, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her to the surface, and out of the lake. Coughing and spluttering, she spat out the lake water before she managed to look up, and see it was Percy who had grabbed her. He was completely dry, but for some reason, this seemed obvious. Son of Poseidon- of course he had control over water.

"Thanks." She managed, and he nodded, holding out a hand for her. She took it gratefully. A few campers came over with a large, bronze leaf blower, blew the air at her for a good couple seconds, and she was dry again.

Scanning the crows that had appeared, she noticed each of the individual campers. They were ranged from maybe seven to twenty years old, wearing orange shirts like Percy and Butch. One pushed his way through the crowd, a quiver of arrows over his shoulder.

"Percy! I let you borrow the chariot, and you destroy it?" The guy shouted, looking both pissed and like he saw it coming.

"Sorry, Will," Percy told him. "I'll get it fixed, no worries."

Sighing, Will looked over Piper and Leo, his eyes skipping away from Reyna nervously, as if her eyes might shoot lasers at him. "These are them? They're all much older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed yet?"

Leo raised his hand high, as if in a classroom with a talkative teacher. "Uh, excuse me? Claimed? Care to explain?"

As Percy opened his mouth to answer, a call came from someone in the crowd. "Any sign of Annabeth?" It asked.

Percy shook his head, his expression darkening. Reyna _really _wished they hadn't asked it- but at the same time, the collective muttering showed that both Percy and this Annabeth were leaders here- or as close as you got.

And especially now, with all these people looking at her, Reyna had a really bad feeling that she wasn't supposed to be here.

* * *

**A/N: I decided on doing all the chapters as Reyna's POV (with a few exceptions), since you already know Piper and Leo's sides. Thank you all for reading, it means so much to me. Σας αγαπώ όλους! (Love you all!)Xx**


	3. III

Standing by the lake, Reyna, Piper, and Leo were subject to the stares of all of the campers, some of which looked happy, but mostly all upset at the news of Annabeth. Looking up, Reyna saw someone push to the front of the crowd.

She was gorgeous, but in a teenage-mean girl way. She was tall, Asian, and had her black hair curled all around her face. She wore enough makeup for the three of them, and had so much jewelry you could hardly see her orange shirt and jeans.

Even just the way she pushed through the crowd told Reyna that they weren't going to be very good friends.

The girl looked them over, almost possessively. "Well, they don't look like much. I sure hope they were worth it."

The camp went silent, so Leo's snort was heard loud and clear. "Gee, thank you for the compliment. What are we, your new pets?"

"No kidding," Reyna added, her arms crossed over her chest. "How about you actually explain some things before you start judging us- like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?"

"Reyna," Percy said, "We'll get your questions answered. And Drew- all demigods are worth saving. Even if this trip didn't accomplish what I'd hoped it would."

Piper stepped up, looking ready to hit Drew upside the head. "We didn't ask to be brought here."

Sniffing, Drew looked her over critically. "Nobody wants you here, hon." Her eyes caught on Piper's braids. "Does your hair always look like a dead badger, or is that just today?"

As she began to lunge forward at the glamour girl, Reyna held out an arm to stop her, and Percy warned from behind her, "Piper, stop."

"We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome, Drew. We'll assign them each a guide, give them a tour around camp, get them their bunk in the Hermes Cabin. Hopefully by campfire, they'll be claimed." Percy explained calmly. Everyone nodded.

"Again… What, exactly is this 'claiming' business?" Leo asked.

A collective gasp went around the crowd, and they all took a few steps back from Leo, as if he had suddenly contracted a disease and was highly contagious. Looking up, Reyna realized that there was a burning red symbol above his head, of a fiery hammer. She recognized it immediately.

"That," Percy stated, "Is claiming."

"What?" Leo asked, ducking and swatting at his head, like a bee was flying around it. "Is my hair on fire? What's going on?"

"This isn't good." Butch warned, "With the curse of Cabin Nine-"

"It's okay, man." Percy told him, a hand on his shoulder. "Leo, you've just been claimed-"

For her lack of memory, the feelings of déjà vu were especially strong. When Percy was talking to Leo, she even felt herself wanting to explain this to him, as if she knew it and had practiced it, despite never hearing it before. But she did know what it meant, which was a first for the day.

A flash of pain hit between her eyes, and when they opened, Reyna was in front of a different group of people, all in purple shirts and white togas. She held her spear, and stood at the front of the crowd with another, whose face was just out of view. A young girl, no older than nine, had the same symbol blazing over her head.

As she blinked, it was gone just as fast as it started.

"By a God." Reyna cut in, her eyes meeting Percy's. "That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?"

Every pair of eyes in the crowd seemed to float to her, including Piper and Leo.

"Uh, Reyna- how did you know that?" Percy asked, his gaze intense, but much less fiery than the one he'd given her at the Grand Canyon.

"I'm not sure."

"Vulcan?" Leo interrupted, eyebrows raised. "I don't even LIKE Star Trek! What the hell is going on?"

Still eyeing Reyna, Percy directed his speech to Leo. "Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and fire."

"The god of what? Who?"

Biting his lip, Percy turned back to Will, who was staring at Reyna with a curious look in his eyes. "Will, give Leo a tour, would you? Then take him to the forges with the rest of Cabin Nine."

Leading Leo off into the Camp, Will put his hand on his shoulder, explaining everything to him, and leaving Piper and Reyna.

Percy's eyes went to Reyna again, narrowing slightly. "Hold out your arm."

Uneasily, Reyna turned over her right forearm. Inside it was a dark black tattoo. It had a sword and a torch crossed on top, followed by the letters SPQR, and four lines underneath, like crude tally marks. It felt personal, for some reason- like a diary, or even an identification card.

"I've never seen marks like this before. Where did you get them?" He asked, caution in his voice, as if he knew he was treading on dangerous ground.

"I'm getting really, really tired of saying this, but I don't know."

All of the campers peered around eachother to see her tattoo better, but they didn't get any closer. She wasn't sure if it was because she scared them, or the tattoo did- probably both.

Pressing his lips together, Percy looked at her tattoo decisively. "Chiron needs to see this. Drew, would you mind-"

"Oh, I can't. But no worries, Mitchell can." Drew smiled prettily at Percy, before whispering something in the boy next to her's ear. He nodded once, before stepping forward to Reyna.

She didn't want to leave Piper alone, but she had no choice. Sending her a look that said 'Sorry, I'll be back', she followed after Mitchell to the blue house in the center of Camp.

He was on the shorter side, and had a mop of dark brown hair. He looked the opposite of Drew- messy t-shirt, tattered jeans, and no irritating sense of confidence. She already liked him more than Drew.

"So.. how old are you?" Mitchell asked casually, looking up at her.

"Uh, I think sixteen." She answered. It felt right, but then again, she could have been ninety-nine for all she knew.

"Where are you from?" He kept the friendliness in his voice, but there was a slight edge, as if this was rehearsed.

Suspiciously, she looked at him as she responded. "I don't know."

He nodded, expecting that answer. "What's your last name?"

This time, she saw the façade. He was trying to figure out if she was lying about not remembering anything- probably, most likely, put up to it by Drew herself. She did her best not to turn around and find her, kicking her teeth in.

"Mitchell, I'm not lying about my amnesia, you know."

Suddenly, he stumbled over his own foot, making a noise that sounded an awful lot like choking to Reyna. Straightening back up, he shook his head, swallowing hard.

"No, no- Well, I mean yeah- but I wasn't… I didn't!" He managed to get out, not meeting her eyes. Then she realized where he was looking- above her head, exactly where the hammer had appeared for Leo.

"You're waiting for a sign." She stated.

Once again meeting her eyes, he looked panicked. "Well- yeah. I mean- you're obviously a really powerful demigod… and I mean, you're older than thirteen, so- Oh, look, we're here."

Looking up, Reyna realized they had stopped outside the large house they'd seen on the way in. It was at least three stories tall, and covered in peeling blue paint, like an old farmhouse you'd expect to see on the prairie in an old television show. There were wrap-around porches that lead to the back.

As she stepped closer, it was like a wall had slammed into her, forcing her back. Every cell in her body screamed, telling her to get away. _Dangerous, _it said. _Enemies are here. You do not belong._

"I'm not supposed to be here, Mitchell," She told him breathlessly.

He raised an eyebrow, glad for the sudden change in subjects. "We all feel like that at first. But Percy said that you killed two of those storm spirits by yourself. Most of us can't even-"

"Not like that, Mitchell. I mean I don't belong at this Camp. It's not right."

Reyna couldn't explain the feeling she had. At the same time that she could recall absolutely nothing about herself, she knew that being here was wrong. The claiming and demigod business was right, sure- but as she neared this building, saw the orange shirts, they all screamed to stay away.

Before he could ask what she meant, footsteps sounded. No, not footsteps- _hooves._

"Chiron!" Mitchell called, relief dripping from his words. "This is Reyna, one of the demigods Percy found."

Turning on her heel, Reyna almost fell over. The man was a centaur- from the waist up, he looked like a teacher, with scraggly hair and a beard, a simple brown shirt on. However, from the waist down he was a white stallion, a bow and quiver slung over his back. His eyes were hidden by the low ceiling of the porch.

Stepping down, he smiled kindly at Reyna, before it drained away quickly. The warmth in his brown eyes left, and suddenly he no longer looked friendly- he looked terrified.

"You," Chiron started, his voice dying out. "You should be dead."

* * *

After Chiron had ordered- or invited, per say- Reyna in, he'd settled into his wheelchair. It had expanded to fit his horse-half into, before folding back in, leaving him looking like a regular mortal, which still didn't take the edge away. The way he had looked at her had been enough to destroy what little idea she had that she did actually belong here.

Mitchell had fled as soon as Chiron had nodded his way, racing off down the path without a glance back.

"Follow me," Chiron spoke, drawing her attention again. "We have lemonade."

Walking into the building, Reyna was unsure of what she expected. However, what she did not expect was the smell of grapes, the entire room coated in vines. There was an old leather couch by a roaring fireplace, surrounded by strange décor- Greek theater masks, beads, and even a stuffed leopard, which quickly made a point of growling loudly.

"No offence, but what is all of this?" She questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"This was a, uh, parting gift from our director. He figured it would help us remember him while he was being recalled to Olympus. Mr. D has an odd sense of humor."

"Mr. D," Reyna repeated, remembering an old story. "Dionysus?"

"That would be him." Chiron agreed, nodding towards the couch. "Please, sit."

She took a seat on the edge of the couch, her braid tickling her spine. Chiron rolled beside her, his eyes filled with some emotion she couldn't figure out- pity? Worry, maybe? Either way, he still tried for a kind smile, but it seemed too forced.

"So, Reyna," He started carefully. "Would you mind telling me where your from?" She heard the way he phrased it carefully, as if he already knew the answer, but wanted to see if she could figure it out as well.

"I don't know, exactly." Reyna answered truthfully. She immediately dove into the story, starting with this morning, and not letting up until the end. The only thing she excluded was her memory of the kids in purple- it seemed to personal to her, as if he might take it.

Chiron nodded, looking intently at the fire. "I see. And am I correct to assume you have questions for me?"

She nodded. "At the moment, just one. What did you mean, when you said I should be dead?"

He sighed, before looking at her carefully, as if she was a bomb. "My dear, do you know what those marks on your arm mean? The titles you've been called by, the color of your shirt? Anything?"

Once again, she shook her head.

"Do you know where you are? What this place is, who I am?"

"You're Chiron the centaur, the same one from the stories. You trained the Greek heroes, like Hercules. This camp… it's for demigods, children of the Gods." Reyna stated.

"And do you believe in the Gods?"

"Yes." Reyna answered immediately. "I mean, they're not amazing people we should worship or anything, but they're around because they're primal forces. They move from country to country as the power shifts- like from Ancient Greece to Rome." She explained. It sounded like an essay answer, even to her. But she must have gotten an A, because Chiron nodded.

"_I couldn't have said it better myself." _Something about the way he talked was different, but she couldn't tell what. "_So you already know the Gods are real. You've probably already been claimed, haven't you?"_

"_Maybe." _ She answered truthfully. "_I'm not really sure.__**"**_

Chiron was silent, and suddenly Reyna realized what had happened. He had spoken another language, but she had understood perfectly. She even spoke it back, not realizing the transition.

"_Quis erat-" _She started, before cutting herself off and forcing herself to switch back to English. "What was that?" Reyna questioned.

"You speak Latin," He noted. "Most demigods recognize a few phrases- it's in their blood, but not nearly as much as Greek. None can speak Latin fluently without practice."

There was a silence in the air as Reyna tried to piece together what this meant. But like a mirror shattered, the pieces she had weren't fitting together, and she definitely didn't have all of them. She rubbed her temple. "Can we go back to the part where I'm supposed to be dead?"

"I'm afraid I can't, dear. I swore never to speak of it… but yet, here you are, in violation of that oath. This should not be possible. I don't understand. Who would have done such a thing? Who-?"

Chiron stopped talking, freezing in place. Reyna looked over her shoulder, but nothing was there. Standing, she realized that everything was frozen- the arcade game, the clock- the only things that weren't was Reyna and the stuffed-yet-alive leopard.

As the leopard opened his mouth, a white mist began to spill from it. She slid the ring off her finger and felt it expand in her hand, prepared to fight whatever was attacking. As she paused, she realized the mist wasn't hissing- it was whispering one thing, over and over.

Reyna.

* * *

**A/N: I tried to take all of your advice for this chapter, I hope you all like it! I am changing a few things along the lines of the quest and later on, with the couples and things. But no worries, I think you'll like it! Thank you all for supporting me and this story, it means so much. Xx**


	4. IV

The mist began to form together, sticking like glue. It no longer whispered her name as it grew, taking the shape of a human, before clearing away, melting off of her like steam from an ice cube.

The woman was obviously more than just a woman. She wore dark robes that hid her face, but Reyna could clearly see her eyes, glowing like moons. A goatskin cloak adorned her shoulders, and she held a gladius in her hands, in case she needed to run her through.

_Would you really attack the patron of your… friend? _The woman's voice spoke in her mind, echoing softly. _Lower your spear._

Swallowing, Reyna did as she asked. "Patron of who? What friend?"

_Our time is limited, Reyna. My prison grows stronger by the hour. It's taken me a month to gain enough energy to work even the smallest magic through its bonds. I've managed to bring you here, but now I have little time left, and even less power. This may be the last time I can speak to you. _

"Prison?" She asked, already confused. "I don't even know who you are- or who I am, for that matter."

_You know me. _The woman insisted. Even as she talked, she had no emotion in her voice, as if she needed out, but didn't care if it ever happened.

Reyna wasn't sure how to respond. Something about this woman was familiar, but once again, she had drawn a blank on her identity, and if she was important to her or not. The way she talked superior to her, though, was definitely very god-like.

_Find my prison. Free me, or their king will rise from the earth, and I will be destroyed. You will never receive your memories. _

Anger sparked inside her, but she kept it hidden, taking a breath. "You took my memories and left me with nothing? How am I supposed to trust you?"

The woman seemed to almost chuckle, amused. _Your friend's name was Jason Grace. As for you- you have four short days to find me, on the solstice. You are my champion for now. Do not fail me, Praetor. _

With her final words, she melted away, the mist gathering to her and shedding away once again, leaving nothing in her place. Meanwhile, the name pounded in her head- Jason Grace. She knew it, which was obvious. However, the face was clouded. All she could see were small images- a flash of blonde hair, twelve long tallies, opposed to her four.

Time unfroze all at once, the Pac Man game restarting, and Chiron finishing his sentence. "-Would dare to bring you here, especially if they knew your true identity?"

Reyna turned back to him, walking over. "Probably the goddess who appeared in the mist."

Chiron looked up in surprise, his brown eyes wide. "Weren't you just sitting… why do you have your spear drawn?"

Grasping her spear tightly, she set it down on the coffee table softly, before settling back onto her spot on the couch and telling him of the visit. She couldn't bring herself to tell about Jason.

"She also mentioned something about being my friend's patron, and that's why I wouldn't hurt her." Reyna told him, biting the inside of her cheek.

Before he could answer, the door burst open, letting in a cold wind. Looking up, Reyna saw that Percy and a girl with curly red hair had burst in, carrying an unconscious Piper between them.

"What happened?" She questioned, crossing the room to her. "What's wrong with her?"

"Hera's cabin," Percy gasped, as if he was running out of air. "Vision. Bad."

The redheaded girl looked up, and Reyna saw that her green eyes were bright red from crying. "I think," she gulped, obviously distressed. "I think I might have killed her."

Chiron, seeing the situation, called off Percy to grab a med kit from down the hall. The red-haired girl introduced herself as Rachel, and Reyna helped grab Piper and lay her on the couch. She was still breathing- it was easy to tell, from the small rise and fall of her chest, her quiet breaths. She seemed to be in some kind of coma.

Watching her, Reyna felt protective over Piper. After all, they had survived the Grand Canyon together. Sure, maybe they weren't actually friends, and everything before had just been a trick. That didn't matter to her- she had to be okay.

Chiron wheeled over and placed a hand on her forehead. "Her mind is in a very fragile state. Rachel, what happened?"

"I wish I knew." She answered, shaking her head as she knelt beside Reyna. "I got back to Camp a little bit ago, and something was odd about Hera's cabin. I went in, and in a few minutes Percy and Piper did too. All of the sudden, I just blanked out, like my mind was unconscious, but my body wasn't. Percy said I was speaking in a different voice."

"A prophecy?" Chiron asked.

"No, not at all. When the Oracle of Delphi speaks, I can feel it coming on. This was like someone just completely took over out of nowhere."

Percy came back into the room, holding a small brown bag. Handing it to Chiron, he looked down at him. "What happened back there, it was nothing I've never seen before. It was creepier than the oracle- not that it isn't creepy, trust me, it is- but it was a woman. She grabbed onto Piper and was yelling at her to-"

"Let me guess," Reyna interrupted, "Free her from prison?"

Percy turned to her, one eyebrow raised, impressed. "How did you know that?"

Shaking his head, Chiron curled three of his fingers and pulled them away from his heart. Although she'd never seen it, it was easy to tell that it was a ward against evil. "Reyna, tell them. Percy, the bag, please."

As she talked, he dropped the medicine into Piper's mouth, his hands moving with expertise, as if he saw comatose patients almost daily.

Once she had stopped talking, the room was eerie. "Please tell me that gods don't always ask for you to bail them out of jail." Reyna commented, hating the stares.

"Patron," Percy repeated, looking to Reyna. "Not godly parent?"

"No, she definitely said Patron."

"I've never heard of a Patron before. You said that storm spirit kid, Dylan, said something about a mistress he had to get back to. Do you think that the goddess who appeared to you was the same one he was referring to?"

"I don't think so," Reyna answered honestly. "If she was an enemy, she wouldn't be asking for my help. She was worried about some king rising from the earth on the solstice-"

"Not Kronos. Please tell me it's not him. First time was bad enough- I think I finally lost my last scar from that war." Percy groaned.

Looking at Chiron, she noticed how absolutely miserable the old centaur looked. He had trained heroes his entire life, and seen almost anything, yet even he seemed unsure of who this threat was. A hand on Piper's wrist, he checked her pulse before answering.

"It is not Kronos." He stated, and Percy and Rachel visibly relaxed. "That threat is ended. But…"

"But what?" Both Reyna and Percy questioned.

"Piper needs rest." Chiron told them tiredly, taking his hand away from her wrist. "We should discuss this later."

"Chiron, you told me the final chapter was coming. Something worse than Kronos. There can't possibly be something worse than an entire army of Titans, can there?" Reyna asked quietly, watching Piper carefully.

Just mentioning the Titans sent a shiver down her spine, once again searching for a memory that should be there, and wasn't. It had gotten old fast, and now was just annoying.

"Oh dear." Rachel spoke up, all eyes flickering to her as she stared in slight horror. "The woman was Hera- her cabin, her voice. She must have showed herself to Reyna at the exact same moment."

Percy's eyebrow raised. "Hera? She did this to Piper, and took you over?"

"I think she's right." Reyna told him, looking up at him. "After all, she is a goddess. She wore a goatskin cloak too- that's the symbol of Juno, isn't it?"

"Juno?" Percy asked. "You mean Hera? I've never heard of that before."

Chiron nodded uneasily, pausing slightly as if gauging how much he should actually say to them about the situation, which irritated her. She hated not knowing what was going on. "Of Juno, Hera's Roman aspect, yes. The cloak was the symbol of a Roman soldier, her most warlike state."

Rachel began to talk, but Reyna wasn't listening, instead lost in thought of what that meant, why she only remembered the goddess in her Roman form, instead of the Greek, like everyone else at the camp did. Pushing her braid from her shoulder to her back, she focused back in on the conversation.

"Well, Titans can kidnap gods. We saw it when Atlas captured Artemis and made her hold the sky." Percy rubbed his forehead, as if it brought back bad memories. "Gods can capture other gods, too. But something worse than a Titan…?"

Staring at the different décor in the room, she felt uncomfortable, and the feeling was growing, not lessening. "Hera said she'd been trying to break through the bonds for a month."

"Which is exactly how long Olympus has been closed." He informed, biting his lip. "They must know something bad is going on."

There was another pause, the air filled with a tension as everyone thought of the questions they didn't want the answers to.

"Chiron, do you know what we're up against?" Rachel asked quietly, as if she knew he was holding something back.

He seemed to age fifteen years from the time he pulled his eyes off Piper and looked at them. "I apologize, my dears, but this is a matter I cannot help you all with."

"What?" Percy asked, stunned. "But if this helps us get back Reyna's memories, and find Annabeth-"

Chiron cut him off promptly. "I'll be in my office." Stopping at the edge of the room, he looked back to them. "Rachel, watch after the girl, please. Have Argus bring her to the infirmary. Percy, speak with Reyna about the Greek and Roman gods."

Before any of the trio could protest, Chiron had disappeared down the hall, leaving one mildly pissed, one worried, and one utterly lost.

Percy stepped forward to the coffee table, where Reyna's spear lay. Gently, he picked it up, looking at it carefully.

"It's gold." He informed, before looking back at her. "Were you a king or something before this? Where did you get it?"

"I don't know." She answered, shrugging.

Percy handed it to Reyna, who gripped it tightly. It shrank back into the ring, with the etched sword and torch on the front. Looking back, he didn't look too surprised, but rather curious. Instead of asking, he sighed. "I really hope this plan isn't as stupid as I think it will be. Rachel, I'm going to take her to Cabin Fifteen. Keep an eye on Piper, will you?"

Rachel nodded, giving Reyna a small smile. "Good luck, you two."

"Hold on," She protested, looking at both of them. "What's in Cabin Fifteen?"

"Maybe a way to get your memory back." He answered.

* * *

Percy led her around the cabins, into one of the newer wings. Looking at the cabins, it was easy to tell which was which. The red brick one with barbed wire was Mars. The brown, peeling cabin with campers always laughing and yelling was Mercury. Cabin Fifteen, however, was much harder. It was simple, with brown walls and a wreath of red poppies on the doorway.

Looking around the cabins, Reyna couldn't help but feel like she shouldn't be seeing this. Every cabin she walked by seemed to scream danger. Even this one, Fifteen, seemed to whisper to her as she approached. _Enemy. _It said. _You do not belong here._

"You don't think this is my parent's cabin, do you?" Reyna asked, suddenly feeling repulsed by the thought.

"No, not at all. This is Hypnos's cabin- the god of sleep. It's always easy to tell his kids. They usually fall asleep while we're talking to them, and suddenly the sign's hovering above their heads." Percy told her.

Reyna looked up at him strangely. "Well then, why am I here?"

"Because if anyone can bring back memories, it's Hypnos."

Inside, Reyna noticed that there were three kids basically unconscious in the beds, by a warm fire. Violin music played from somewhere, and the entire room smelled like freshly-done laundry. Percy yawned as his knees began to buckle, and she nudged him.

"Sorry." He muttered, shaking his head. "Sometimes, this place is more dangerous than the Ares cabin."

Reyna agreed completely- this entire camp was dangerous, it seemed.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize that this took so long without warning! My computer wasn't turning on for a few days, and I finally got it on yesterday. I decided to update probably every 5-7 days, or earlier if I finish two chapters. Thank you all for reading and reviewing, it means a lot. Xx**


	5. V

The first thing Percy did was walk over to one of the beds and shake the kids shoulder. "Clovis, wake up!" The kid, Clovis, did nothing but snore louder. "Clovis!"

"Wh-what?" Clovis yawned, sitting up.

The kid could only have been about five foot zero, with a small tuft of blond hair and a baby face. He looked around fifteen, but Reyna wouldn't have known if he was older or younger than that otherwise. As he yawned, he looked right at the two of them and caused them to yawn involuntarily.

"We need your help." Percy stated.

"I was _sleeping._" Clovis complained, giving him the same expression that a kindergartener mad at their mother might do.

"You're always sleeping! Besides, you still owe me from that time you drooled all over me at campfire. I'm cashing in my favor."

"That has expired. Good night," He dismissed, before leaning back towards his bed. Before he could, however, Reyna ripped the pillow off the bed.

Almost immediately, the sleepiness began to fade from his expression, leaving him looking much more alert, as if he'd suddenly had a cup of extremely strong coffee. Despite this, he pouted at her, and it took all of Reyna's willpower not to throw the pillow back in his face.

"That's not fair. Give it back." He protested weakly, already knowing he had lost.

"First help." Reyna told him, narrowing her eyes. "Then you can sleep."

Sighing, he looked to Percy. "Fine. What do you want? Make it good, I don't do favors all the time."

Percy told him about Reyna's condition, from the amnesia to waking up on the bus, fighting the spirits, seeing Hera and her message. Every couple sentences, she snapped her fingers by his ear to keep him awake.

However, as it got to the part about Hera, he was awake, and no longer needed reminding. Clovis even began to stretch, pulling his arm across his chest.

"So you don't remember anything, huh?"

"Just impressions." Reyna answered truthfully. "Feelings, like…I don't know. I shouldn't be at this camp. I'm in danger."

"Close your eyes." Clovis told her simply.

Obviously uncomfortable, Reyna looked to Percy, who nodded, before sighing and closing her eyes gently. Instantly, it was like she'd stepped in a pit of black quicksand. Then, it cleared, and suddenly, she was standing before a crowd of people.

Once again, she was standing by another boy- Jason. They both wore white togas with purple capes, and two metal dogs sat at her heels, one gold, the other silver. Ruby red eyes stood out on both. Clearing her throat, the entire crowd looked to her. Some looked with a bit of fear, but most looked at her with respect.

There had to be over two hundred people in all, each one in a purple shirt and armor. As they disbanded, only one stayed behind. He was thin but tall, his arms bony. In his hands was a brown teddy bear, and a few other colors and animals were hung at his belt, pleading for life.

"Reyna, is this really wise?" He questioned, completely disregarding Jason at her side. "The last war games resulted in a death. We cannot afford to lose another soldier, especially since the war has just ended."

Looking at Jason out of the corner of her eye, she could see him smirking. "Octavian, I know what I'm doing. Now fall in your rank." The brunette ordered harshly, dismissing him swiftly.

"Yes, Praetor." He spit, using it as an insult, before stalking off. She rolled her eyes as Jason chuckled, bumping his shoulder to hers. Smacking his arm, the two of them followed after the crowd, towards the two forts.

The next thing she knew, Reyna's eyes were snapping open as she gripped the chair tightly, now sitting by the fire in the Hypnos cabin. Scowling, she stood shakily, uneasy from the vision she had seen.

"-serious, all right," Clovis was saying, his voice no longer muffled.

"What happened?" She demanded, making her way back towards them, and away from the fire. "How long was I... out?"

Percy looked to her, his arms crossed over his chest. "About two weeks." He told her seriously, before chuckling. "Four minutes. It was tense, though. You almost dissolved, whatever that means."

She didn't laugh, but instead, looked to Clovis for an explanation. The way he sat on the edge of the bed, she knew that he had one.

"Usually, memories are lost for a good reason. They disappear under the surface, like dreams. With a good sleep, I can usually bring them back. But this…" He trailed off, as if he didn't know how to finish his sentence.

"Lethe?" Percy asked solemnly.

"No. Not even Lethe." Clovis answered.

Reyna gave the both of them confused looks, knowing full well that she didn't understand, and wasn't going to ask for them to explain it to her.

He pointed across the room, where a branch dripped milky liquid into vases, spinning as it fell down. "The river Lethe, in the Underworld. It dissolves your memories, wipes your mind clean permanently. That's a poplar tree dipped into the river, a symbol of my father. Lethe is not a place you want to go swimming."

Percy nodded. "I've been there before. It's powerful enough to wipe a Titan's mind, take away all of his memories."

"But… that's not my problem, is it?"

"No," Clovis agreed, much to Reyna's relief. "Your mind wasn't wiped, and your memories weren't buried. They've been stolen."

Confusion took over her brain, but she kept her face straight. "Um, stolen? By who?"

"A God." He informed, nodding once. "Only an Olympian would have this kind of power, to take away all your memories and hide them just out of your reach."

Reyna bit her cheek to keep from sighing. "We already knew that. It was Juno."

"Juno? Like the movie?"

"Hera." Percy told him, shrugging. "Reyna seems to prefer the Roman names."

"Hmm," Clovis said.

"Why? Does it mean something?"

"Hmm." He repeated, and this time Reyna realized he was snoring. Even after all the excitement of looking into her mind and trying to help her retrieve her stolen memories, a nap was still the most important thing to him. Clenching her teeth, Reyna leaned close to him, before yelling. "Clovis!"

Jerking awake, he blinked rapidly. "Gods, right! Right. Greek and Roman, right. It could be important."

Frowning, Percy stepped closer. "But why? It's the same Gods. The only thing that changed was their names as they went from Greece to Rome."

"Well… Not exactly."

Reyna suddenly jerked up, looking at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean, not exactly?" For some reason, the news excited her, and she was stumped as to why, just like everything else about her life.

"Some gods are only Roman, like Janus, Pompona, and Bellona. But even the major Gods- it wasn't just their names that changed when they shifted. Their appearances, attributes, and even their personalities changed as well, adapting to the new culture that the Romans had made."

Narrowing his eyes at Clovis, Percy pressed his lips tightly together, like he was thinking hard. "But just because people saw them a different way, it wouldn't actually change who they were, would it?"

"Sure it does," He murmured sleepily, earning a snap from Reyna. "Coming, Mother! Sorry… So, um, the Gods change to reflect their host countries. That's why Zeus likes tailored suits and reality television. It was just like that during the Roman times, and the center of power was in Rome for almost as long as it was in Ancient Greece. It was a huge empire, lasted for centuries. So of course their Roman aspects are still a big part of their character."

"It makes sense," Reyna agreed. "But how do you know all this?"

"I spend a lot of time dreaming. I see the gods all the time- always shifting forms. Dreams are fluid, you know. You can be in different places at once, always changing identities. Like, I had this dream where I was watching a Michael Jackson concert, then suddenly, I was on stage with him, and I could not remember the words for 'The Girl Is Mine.' Oh, man, it was so embarrassing-"

"Clovis." Reyna stopped him.

"How do you forget the lyrics to that song, anyway?" Asked Percy, earning a look from Reyna. "Fine. Back to Rome, then."

"Right, Rome. We call the gods their Greek names because that's their original form. But that doesn't mean their Roman aspects are identical to the Greek. In Rome, they were much more powerful, warlike. Harsher, more powerful- the gods of an empire." Clovis explained.

"So, the literal 'evil twin' thing?" He cut in.

"Well, no," Clovis told him. "They stood for discipline, strength, honor-"

"All good things." Reyna told him. For some reason, talking about the Roman and Greek gods made her feel as if her headache was lessening, the knots in her brain were beginning to get less tight.

"I don't understand what this has to do with Reyna." Percy interjected.

"Neither do I." Clovis answered, shrugging. "But if Hera took your memories, only she can give them back. And trust me, if I had to meet the queen of the gods and ask for a favor, I'd hope she'd be in more of a Hera mood than a Juno mood."

With that, Reyna gave him back his pillow, and he fell asleep instantly, head into the pillow, butt in the air.

"Will he suffocate like that?" Reyna asked.

Percy shook his head. "Nah, he'll be okay. I think. But at the moment, I'm a little more worried about you."

* * *

As soon as they had stepped out of the Hypnos cabin, a conch sounded, causing the steady stream of noise coming from the cabins to cease. Doors swung open, and campers poured out like water from a faucet, all heading towards the dining pavilion.

"Time for dinner." Percy informed, leading her towards the center of camp.

In the time they'd taken in the Hypnos cabin, the sky had started to get dark. Due to this, candles lit the way to the pavilion, each one different colors- blue, green, yellow, and even black.

The dining pavilion was like most summer camps, with wooden tables all over. However, these tables were longer, with a symbol carved into the middle. A long, straight table was in the front, and bronze fire pits blazed in different spots all around. Watching the cabins sit down rowdily, Reyna realized that Percy had been talking.

"-you'll have to sit with the Hermes kids, for now." He finished, pointing her to the loudest table, before heading off to the farthest one from the end.

Taking a seat on the edge, Reyna watched the way that the nearest kid acted. She had to be only seven or eight years old, with long brown hair and bright green eyes, a few freckles sprayed across her nose. The girl put a small portion of food on her plate, before standing and moving to the brazier. Copying her, Reyna watched as she scooped some of her food to the fire, murmuring " For Hermes."

Scooping off a chunk of bread and half a pork chop, she prayed silently. _To my parent. Please, just help me remember. Where I'm from, why I'm here- anything._

Settling back into her seat, Reyna jumped as someone touched her arm- the girl from before. "Hi." She greeted, smiling wide, and revealing a missing bottom tooth.

"Hello." Reyna replied, her voice even.

"You're Reyna, aren't you?" She asked, glancing at her forearm, where the tattoo stood out. "Everyone's talking about you. Why don't you have a last name?"

Pursing her lips, Reyna tried to figure out how to reply to that. As she opened her mouth, the words poured out, and she couldn't stop them. "My full name is Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano."

She blinked, realizing that the words she had spoken was true. Turning to look back at the bronze brazier, she shook her head in disbelief, before back at the girl. "Thanks." She murmured quietly to her parent, feeling a small spark of hope. Maybe she wasn't as alone as she felt.


	6. VI

"No, silly, that's three names." The girl giggled. "My name is Jackie Hunter. See? Only one last name."

"Avila is my middle name," Reyna explained, feeling with a strange certainty that she'd had this conversation before. "Ramirez and Arellano are my last names."

Jackie nodded, her brown hair bobbing. Before she could ask another question, the girl beside her touched her arm lightly. "Jackie, let her eat. She's had a long day."

"But Aspen…" Jackie complained, making doe eyes at the older girl- Aspen. She gave Reyna a 'sorry' look, before shaking her head.

"Let her be." Reyna nodded once in thanks, before finally starting to eat. Even as she did, her mind raced back and forth.

Her parent had heard her, then. They'd given her that little piece of information, no matter how useless it was. Maybe they would claim her at campfire- after all, that was what Percy and Rachel had both been saying.

But what if she wasn't claimed?

The question send shivers down her spine, as if her body knew how bad it was, while her mind didn't, left out of the loop. Staring at her fork, Reyna realized she'd been lost in thought for a good five minutes.

"Boo!" Someone called in her ear, causing her to jump and the fork to fly, landing on her plate with a small clink. Blinking quickly, she turned to see none other than Leo, grinning from ear to ear as he slipped into the seat next to her. "Got you! Man, you should have seen your face."

Smacking his arm, Reyna rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Leo. What are you doing over here? Shouldn't you be with the rest of the Vulc- Hephaestus cabin?"

Leo looked down and shrugged, and Reyna noticed the machine grease in his hairline, along with a streak or two on his neck and arm, hidden from his sight. "Probably. I can't subject them to too much of this sexiness in one day- they might burn up."

Rolling her eyes again, Chiron stood up from his place at the table, clinking a fork to his glass to grab everyone's attention. Looking back to Leo, she realized that he had left, back to his table.

Out of all of the tables, his was one of the more average ones. All of the campers looked different, with every hair, eye, and skin color Reyna knew to be natural. She even saw one girl with red streaked hair. However, they all had muscular arms, as well as band aids and casts, even a few stitches all over their skin, as if they were all brutally attacked.

"Campers, please, if I could have your attention," Chiron called, causing the pavilion to quiet and shift their eyes to the Centaur. "As most all of you know, we have three new campers- Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus."

At this, the entire hall applauded, a few giving small shouts. It was strange- it gave her a feeling of euphoria, but also a pang of wrongness.

"Piper McLean, unclaimed, who is resting in the infirmary," He continued, followed by another, but less enthusiastic round of shouting, due to her absence. From the Venus table, Drew rolled her eyes and clapped sarcastically.

"And lastly, Reyna," Chiron met her eyes. "Whom as of now, is not claimed."

The campers cheered, but Reyna noticed the gleam in his eye, and she could tell he knew something. It was burning a hole in her mind that he might know something, but couldn't tell her.

"We will talk about the Capture-the-Flag situation later. As for now, you can all head down to campfire." Chiron dismissed, and all of the campers made their way out at their own pace, leaving Reyna sitting alone.

She didn't mind the solitude. She had a feeling that it wasn't a new emotion to her. It felt comforting, and yet, completely painful.

Before she could get up, she could feel a presence behind her, and sighed. Leo and his pranks. "Leo, not now-" She started, before trailing off. The presence wasn't Leo after all, but Percy. "Sorry. Thought you were Leo."

He shook his head. "Nope, just me." As she looked up at him, it was as if her mind was burning. She remembered him from somewhere, before she'd lost her memory. That much was obvious.

"C'mon, campfire's actually fun sometimes." Percy told her, a sheepish grin on his face. "They have s'mores."

Although the thought of the snack didn't make it any more appealing, Reyna got up anyways, glancing at her own purple shirt, the tattoo on her arm. The shirt was worn well, with a few burns on the hem and a hole or two. Déjà vu settled over her, for the seven hundredth time that day.

She really wished she knew what the hell was going on.

* * *

The campfire was exactly how it sounded.

Campers filled a pavilion, once again assembled under banners of their parents. The atmosphere was easygoing, laid back, as if they were just normal kids at a summer camp. However, the flames they surrounded were not normal. They shifted from blue to red to orange, even to gold as the singing got louder. Reyna had never liked to sing.

Although all of the kids were strictly under their own banner, she was allowed to sit with Percy since he was alone, and she hadn't been claimed. The entire time he cracked jokes and sang nasally, as if to make up for the anger and hostility he had earlier.

Halfway through, Piper was marched in by the redhead, Rachel. They sat by Chiron on the opposite side of the pavilion. Leo was with his siblings, in the middle. Once again, they had been separated.

Reyna didn't like it at all. She felt like she was responsible for them, to keep them safe.

After they had finished the final song, Chiron marched up to the fire. His curly brown hair ran rampant, his beard close cropped, and stained with fluff from the marshmallows that adorned his spear. "Very nice! Now that we have all of our new campers here, I'd like to formally say welcome. I am Chiron, the camp activities director. I'm glad you all made it here alive, and relatively unharmed."

Every pair of eyes seemed to be trained on Piper, Reyna, or Leo, with only a few wanderers, like Percy, who actually focused on Chiron. One of them, however, yelled out, drawing back the attention. "Capture the Flag?"

He shook his head, causing many of the campers to groan. "I know you all- especially Ares- are itching for another game. However, until the dragon is brought under control, we can't continue. Cabin Nine, any report on that?"

A girl with an American Flag bandana stood. Leo paid her virtually no attention, as he had made eye contact with Piper and Reyna, and set about distracting them by shooting them with a finger gun.

The girl spoke, and Leo finally put away his 'gun'. "We're working on it."

"How, Nyssa?" Someone shouted- a kid from Mars.

"Really hard." Nyssa stated, earning a few groans from the crowd again. They began to yell and complain, loud enough to make her hard of hearing and turn the fire orange.

Chiron stamped his foot- hoof- on the ground, sounding through the noise and causing all of the campers to face him. "We have to be patient," He scolded. "As for the present, we have a few more important matters to discuss."

The crowd was silent for three beats, before someone yelled out, this time much quieter. "Annabeth?"

The name seemed to echo like it had been screamed. The reaction on Percy was almost instant. His small grin had faded from his lips, leaving him looking tired, and much older than sixteen. Even the black of his hair, the green of his eyes seemed to be less intense.

The fire dimmed to a dark blue, and Chiron beckoned for Percy to rise. Doing so, he made his way to the centaur, taking a deep breath.

"I haven't found Annabeth yet." He informed, his voice cracking a little when he spoke her name. "She wasn't at the Grand Canyon. I've got everyone we know out looking- Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis- everyone is out looking. We _will _find her."

Instantly, it was as if the campers had been told that their birthday party was cancelled. Anxious and Distraught faces surrounded her. She wondered, for a split second, if anyone had noticed that she was gone, much less cared.

It was a bitter thought, however, and she let it go quickly.

"Chiron is talking about something different, though." Percy told them, looking out over the crowd of faces. A new quest."

"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" A girl's voice asked.

Everyone seemed to turn and look at her, as if they weren't sure if she had actually spoken. When the girl was located, Reyna realized that it was Drew, who had been picking at her nails and adjusting her makeup the entire time. She must not have addressed the crowd often, because most of them looked stunned that she could speak.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked, eyes narrowing.

"Well, come _on,_" Drew said, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder, like it was obvious. "Olympus is closed up, Annabeth is suddenly missing. Then the vision from Hera, and then three new demigods all showing up in one day. This is the opposite of normal. The Great Prophecy has started, hasn't it?"

All eyes seemed to fall on Rachel expectantly.

Rachel was staring at the fire, as if it would suddenly turn into a snake and attack. Her green eyes were now reflecting the violet, making her expression unreadable.

"Yes." She told them, looking up. "The Great Prophecy has begun."

Chaos broke out. People were yelling and shouting. The Mars cabin looked almost happy, but the rest of the campers were a mix of shock, terror, anger, and even a few tears. Rachel stood and made her way up to Percy, and after a few minutes, the commotion died down.

"For those who have not yet heard it, the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It goes like this: Eight half bloods shall answer the call, to storm or fire the world must fall-"

It was like a surge of energy had hit Reyna. Before she knew it, she was on her feet, knowing that she probably looked like a crazy person.

"Uh, R-Reyna?" Rachel called, staring at her. "What-"

She couldn't explain it, but those lines had triggered something in her, had placed another two in its place. It came with a surge of images- purple shirts, tattoos, a large, golden eagle, and a large purple banner that read SPQR.

The words tumbled out of her mouth. "_Ut cum spititu postrema sacramentum dejuremus,_" she chanted, her voice solid. "_Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam nectum._"

Reyna realized that everyone was staring at her, trying to translate what she had said. A few under a grey banner with an owl muttered in shock, shaking their heads. Why the words had came in Latin, she was unsure.

"You just… You just finished the prophecy." Rachel confirmed, sending a wave of mutters through the crowd. "-An oath to keep with a final breath/And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How did you…"

"I know those lines." Reyna told her, rubbing her temples to stop the massive headache that had followed the images. "I don't know how, or why, but I know that prophecy."

Sitting back down carefully, she knew that every pair of eyes was locked on her. Staring at her tattoo, she furrowed her brow, trying to figure out why she knew them, what the images that had accompanied them meant.

The others were doing this as well, she could tell.

The oracle looked shaky, but managed to continue. "Well, that's the prophecy. We hoped it would be years until it would start again, but I fear that it has begun now. I can't give you proof, or explain it. It's just a feeling. Like Drew said, some weird things are happening. The eight demigods of the prophecy, whoever they may be, have not yet gathered. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Others are not here."

People stirred again, a few laughing at Clovis as he said something unintelligible. Reyna wasn't focused on the crowd, but on Chiron, who was looking at her with a mix between pity and sadness. She'd never admit it, but it scared her.

"Anyways," Rachel continued, "We don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenges the demigods will face, but since the first Prophecy predicted the Titan War, I can only guess that the second will be something at least that bad."

"Or worse." Chiron murmured, but in the silence, it was heard by all.

"What we do know is that the first phase has begun. The Queen of the Gods, Hera, has been taken. "

Another interruption. Afterwards, Rachel went on about what had happened to Reyna, Piper, and Leo, from the Grand Canyon to the visions. Meanwhile, Piper caught her eye.

_You ok? _She mouthed. Nodding, Reyna wasn't sure if she was actually alright. Her skull was pounding, like someone was trying to hammer their way out.

Finally, Rachel reached the part about what Hera had told both Piper and Jason, demanding to be freed from her prison. It led in a few murmurs, and Drew making fun of Piper, but since Piper was ignoring it, she decided it was smart do that as well.

"Reyna- er, do you know your last name?" Rachel questioned, becoming her up.

"Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano." She told her simply.

"Well, Reyna Avila Ramirez Arellano, it seems that Hera has issued you a quest to save her from her prison, if you will accept it."

The stares were overwhelming, but she somehow knew how to handle it with grace, not to let them influence her decision. _You will never receive your memories without my help._ Juno's voice chided. Jason's face flashed once again, and she sighed.

"I agree. I accept this quest."

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for not updating. I was out of town and had no internet, sadly. I also apologize for not including her claiming in this chapter, as it is much awaited. I will update as soon as possible with it, as I know so many of you were eager to see how it unfolds. Thank you all for your reviews and love for this story. It really makes my day so much better. Xx**


	7. VII

Every pair of eyes were focused on Reyna. She kept her face smooth, not letting anyone see that on the inside, the thought of a quest was churning her insides. She couldn't even remember who she was, and now she was going to be in charge of leading two others blindly to save Hera.

"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil, to stop some king from rising." Rachel announced, half to her, half to the campers. "For reasons we don't know, it must happen by the winter solstice. That's four days from now."

"That's the day of the council of the gods," Percy told her, crossing his arms over his chest. "If they don't already know Hera's gone, they will then. That, of course, will lead to them all bickering over who took her."

She heard a tone of bitterness under his words, as if he had experienced this firsthand. Of course, he probably had.

"The winter solstice is also the time of great darkness." Chiron told them, his face ghostly in the firelight. "The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods, bad things… they all stir."

"Thank you, Centaur Sunshine." Percy muttered.

Rachel gave the both of them a look, one that clearly told the both of them to stop talking.

"Whatever is going on, it's not the matter now. Reyna has been chosen to lead this quest, so that means-"

There were a few murmurs, before someone from the Mars cabin stood, yelling out at them.

"Why hasn't she been claimed, then?" He asked. "Especially if she's so important."

Reyna wanted to smack him, but at the same time, she related. If she was so important to get a quest in her first day at camp, then why hadn't she been claimed yet? Of course, she wasn't going to give the camper the satisfaction of seeing her ask herself that same question.

To her surprise, Chiron spoke up. "She has been claimed. It was a long time ago, but nevertheless. Markus, come help her demonstrate."

Reyna felt her own eyebrows knit together in confusion. Demonstrate? The kid who had shouted out, Markus, stepped down to the center, a sword in hand. He'd obviously understood what he had meant by 'demonstration'. As he stepped towards her, he raised it high, ready to attack.

Before she could even think, she plucked the ring off her finger and gripped it, and in seconds she had a golden spear, the purple leather handhold fitting perfectly into her grasp. As he swung at her, she rolled under, missing the blade and getting back up on her feet.

The hard part was that while he had the sword, she only had a spear. It was harder to control, but easier to move her momentum. Markus was eager to attack, while she was more defensive. She had to use it to her advantage.

Swinging again, Reyna caught his blade on her hilt and slammed it upwards, trying to disarm him. It failed, however, and only made him wobble. Muttering a curse in Latin, she stepped back.

When he lunged forward, this time she met him, his blade hitting hers. Twisting hard, she grabbed his arm and pulled him hard, flipping him over her shoulder and onto the ground hard. She had his own sword at his throat, and her spear in her other hand.

It took her a moment to realize what she had done. The fight had lasted only two minutes long, and most of the campers looked stunned, and when she let him up and handed him his sword, she realized why. Markus towered over her, at nearly six feet, and was completely built. She was strong, sure- but she shouldn't have been a match for him.

"Daughter of Ares?" Someone asked, speaking in the silence. "Or Athena?" Another put in.

"Neither." Chiron spoke, once again. "Her mother isn't one of the Olympians. Her godly parent is Bellona, goddess of war."

A pin drop could have been heard. Reyna heard her heartbeat loudly six times, before the shouting began.

"God_dess _of War?" "Isn't that Ares?" "Who's Bellona?" "That's not a Greek goddess!" "What the hell is going on here?"

Chiron stamped his hooves once again, and the theater slowly went quiet. "Bellona is in fact the goddess of War. She was a Roman goddess, like Janus or Pompona. Since we don't have a cabin, Reyna will have to stay in the big house for now."

There were a few more arguments, most asking how she could be a Roman. They used the word like a disease, like it was something to be ashamed of.

Meeting Piper's eyes, she gave a smile to Reyna, nodding once in approval. Leo gave her a thumbs up, mouthing something that looked suspiciously like 'hot damn'.

"The important thing is that Reyna is here now." Rachel announced, cutting off a Hermes kid. "She has a quest to fulfill, and for that, she'll need a prophecy."

Closing her eyes, the redhead swooned, and two campers rushed forward, catching her just before her head would have hit the dirt. Another pulled over a stool, and they managed to slide her onto it.

Instantly, it was like someone had hit a button. Green mist surrounded her as she opened her eyes, which were glowing green. The same mist spilled from her mouth as it opened, the voice that talked much deeper and raspier than Rachel's.

"_Child of War, beware the earth._

_The Giant's revenge the eight shall birth,_

_The forge and the dove shall break the cage,_

_And death unleash through Hera's rage."_

After the last words were out of her mouth, Rachel collapsed like a Raggedy-Anne doll. The helpers grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into the corner, where they laid her down to rest.

Meanwhile, the words were sinking in with Reyna.

"Is that normal?" A voice asked into the silence. Piper. "I mean… does she spew green smoke a lot?"

"Gods, you're dense!" Drew sneered. "She just issued a prophecy- Reyna's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just-"

"Drew!" Percy interrupted, frowning at her. "It was a fair question. Something wasn't right about that prophecy. If Hera is just going to turn on her saviors... why free her?"

Many people paused, considering his words. A few agreed immediately with him, while a few hesitated, and a few more disagreed.

"I don't have much of a choice." Reyna said, looking up from her feet. "Hera took my memories, and she doesn't intend to give them back unless I free her. This amnesia thing isn't fun- besides, I need my memory. I can't just not help the queen of the gods when she's in trouble, or I'm going to be clueless for the rest of my life."

Nyssa, the girl from Leo's cabin, shrugged as she stood. "Maybe. But you should listen to Percy. Hera is vengeful at times. She threw her own son- our dad- off of Olympus just because he was ugly."

A comment from the Venus cabin made a few people snicker, but Nyssa ignored it. "We've also got to think- why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to imprison Hera?"

Nobody answered, but Chiron and Percy seemed to be having a silent disagreement, using a lot of facial expressions and motions. It was over quickly.

"It's Reyna's quest, nobody can argue that. She's obviously the child of war. That means she gets to choose her two companions. You may choose anyone you wish, according to tradition." Percy explained, breaking the silence.

"Obviously you, Percy." Someone from the Apollo cabin called. "You have the most experience out of any of us."

He shook his head, shaking his dark hair out of his eyes. "Sorry, but I'm out on this one. Hera and I aren't on the best of terms, especially recently. Besides, I'm heading out to look for Annabeth tomorrow."

She saw the flash of dedication in his eyes, and she knew immediately that there was no way that he was going to be persuaded to do anything besides go look for his missing girlfriend.

"It's all connected," Piper broke in, looking rather embarrassed to have all eyes on her again. "You know it's true, don't you? This whole Hera thing, your girlfriend's disappearance- it's connected."

"How?" Drew questioned, rolling her eyes. "If you're smart enough to figure that out, prove it."

Piper looked a little miffed that she couldn't figure out how, but before Reyna could stick up for her, Percy broke in.

"You may be right, Piper. If it is, I'm going to find out from the opposite end, by finding Annabeth. Besides, there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

"It says I pick." Reyna agreed. Although she wanted someone with experience along, she knew that he had something more important he needed to do. "_The forge and the dove shall break the cage. _The forge is the symbol of Vulcan- or, uh, Hephaestus. The god of fire, whatever."

Nyssa looked up, her bandanna beginning to droop. "If you have to beware the earth, then you'll need air transport. Cars would be on ground, and would be going against the prophecy, which is never good. The flying chariot is broken, and the pegasi are out of commission. Maybe we can figure something out. With Jake injured, I'm senior counselor. I can volunteer for the quest."

Nyssa's words made sense, but Reyna was reluctant to let her in. It didn't feel right, first off- but mostly, she didn't want to lead her off a cliff, with a whole cabin depending on her.

Then, Leo stood up. He had been completely silent the whole time, and even though she had only known him for one day, she knew it wasn't like him at all.

"It's me." He stated.

A few of the other campers tried to make him sit back down, but he waved them off. "No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. Please- I can fix this!"

Reyna knew it was up to her. On one hand, he had no experience with fighting, and was brand new to camp, could die out on a quest. On the other, he was an excelled builder, he seemed like a good fit, and hell, she was new to camp, too.

She pursed her lips, before she cracked a small smile. "We started this together, might as well finish it. Seems right that you come along. Find us a ride, and you're in."

He pumped his fist in the air. "Yes!"

"Then all that's left is the third quest member." Percy told her. "The dove is a symbol of Aphrodite, so-"

Drew cut him off with a flourish of her hand. "Oh, absolutely!" She smiled prettily at Reyna. "I am totally in for this. I'm senior counselor, after all."

Reyna bit the inside of her cheek. She didn't like the idea of Drew tagging along, especially since she had pitted Mitchell against her, as if she was lying about her memory.

"No." Piper argued, standing.

"Oh please, dumpster girl. Sit back down, will you?"

"I had the vision of Hera, not you. I have to do this." Piper responded.

"Anyone can have a vision!" Drew exclaimed, one hand raised for emphasis. "It's a right place right time sort of thing. Look, fighting is okay, I suppose." She said, looking at Reyna. "And people who build things… Well, I suppose someone has to do the dirty work. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive- I could help a lot."

Instantly, campers began to nod, as if Drew was the perfect member for the quest. Even Percy, who couldn't stand her, and Chiron, looked as if they agreed with her.

However, Reyna found herself still not wanting Drew to come along. It was if she was manipulating all these people, putting them all in some kind of weird trance to let her go. Frowning, she heard one word speak in her mind. _Charmspeak._

"Well… given the wording of the prophecy-" Percy began, before he was cut off by an angry Piper.

"No!" Piper called, regaining everyone's attention. "I'm supposed to go."

Once again, everyone began to say that Piper's participation made sense. Reyna blinked, realizing that Piper must have had the power as well. But charmspeak only came from two goddesses- one of whom used it effortlessly, and one who used it for manipulation.

"Get over it!" Drew shouted. "What can Piper do?"

Piper stayed silent, not bothering to defend herself, as if she thought nothing was what she could do for the quest. A spark of anger flashed through her, and she pursed her lips together tightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Percy looking at her strangely.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, there was a flash of pink, and everyone gasped at what it had left behind.

Piper, with her choppy hair and snowboarding jacket, had gotten a makeover. She wore a white gown decorated with gold, flower necklaces, plenty of jewelry, and sandals. Makeup had been applied beautifully, and her hair had been braided down the side with gold strands.

Pulling out her dagger, she glanced at her reflection and gasped, looking like this was the worst day of her life.

Meanwhile, Reyna felt sick to her stomach. The golden strands in the braid, the long dresses, the makeup and flowers… at the same time it was foreign in this setting, it was also familiar. Her head was pounding hard, much worse than it had before.

"What the…" Piper trailed off, looking like she was in the middle of a horror movie.

As Chiron ordered everyone to stand, Reyna gripped onto her spear, leaning heavily onto it.

"Hail, Piper McLean," Chiron announced. "Daughter of Aphrodite, lady of the doves, goddess of love."

From there, the crowd began to spill out, and before she knew it, Leo and Piper had both disappeared. Her hands were shaking, and it was if she had suddenly contracted a fever.

Percy walked over to her, looking concerned. "Reyna, are you alright? You look like you're going to throw up."

"I don't know." She told him, her knuckles white. She looked like she would imagine death might- pale, shaky, and exhausted. "Something about the way Piper was dressed- it reminds me of something."

Balancing her weight, Reyna shrank her spear back into its ring form, slipping it onto her finger shakily. She started to walk forward, but it was as if her legs had turned to jelly, and she nearly fell over. Luckily, she managed to steady herself.

"This is strange." Percy told her, pressing his lips together. "We need to get you to Chiron, especially since you need to leave tomorrow."

Just as he opened his mouth to call for the centaur, Reyna felt herself falling. Percy caught her, and suddenly, the world went black.

* * *

**A/N: A sort-of double update! Why do you think Reyna passed out? I want to know what your predictions are :) Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it! Xx**


	8. VIII

Sometime later, Reyna began to dream.

At least, it was probably a dream. However, the feel of the wind on her skin, blowing her hair around her shoulder, definitely didn't feel dreamlike. Brushing her hair behind her ear, she looked up, and realized she was in the middle of a forest.

It was the redwoods, she was sure. A soft rain was pouring down on her, pasting her purple shirt to her skin. As she looked into the woods, she realized that a pack of grey wolves stood the perimeter, all pointing her in the direction of a ruined house. They were snarling and had mouths of sharp teeth. She followed without question.

They led her into the house, which was even more destroyed then she realized. The columns had all but fallen, most of the remaining wreckage was burned, and the grass had been dead for centuries before. The courtyard had once been stunningly beautiful, but now it resembled where a horror movie might take place. Yet, this place was familiar to Reyna.

The pool had been drained, but a cloud of mist covered the bottom, making it impossible to tell how deep it was. Reyna stopped at the edge of the pool, the wolves finally spreading apart and abandoning her.

One wolf waited at the other side of the pool. She was the largest, and had glowing red eyes. She seemed to be almost waiting for her to speak.

"I've been here before." Reyna spoke.

_Of course. _She said. _You began your journey here when you were twelve years of age, just a young pup. Now you have to find your way back. New quest, a new start._

Reyna wanted to protest, but she knew better. Memories were starting to come back to her. This was Lupa, the mother wolf, the greatest of her kind. When Reyna had been led to her, she'd taken her in, trained her, and taught her how to control her powers, before sending her off. Where, however, hadn't come back to her.

"Can you guide me?" Reyna asked, a feeling of familiarity settling in.

Lupa didn't answer, but rather stalked around the edge of the pool. Reyna followed, her footsteps as silent as the wolf's. A deep rumbling growl came from between the wolf's canines, and the mist cleared.

At the bottom was a cage. It seemed to be rock and dirt, the bars made of heavy rocks, the bottom of soft dirt. It seemed to be easy to break through, until she noticed the vines. They were covered in thorns, wrapped around the ceiling and the bars, keeping the prisoner in. Squinting, she finally made out the figure.

"Hera." She murmured.

Lupa nodded solemnly. _The enemy has chosen this place to awaken her most powerful son, the giant king. Our sacred place, where demigods are claimed- the place of life or death. The burned house. The house of the wolf. It is an abomination, and you must stop her. Our end cannot interfere. I cannot speak of this with Ja- with any of the legion._

"Her… You mean Hera?" Reyna asked.

_Use your senses, pup. I care nothing for Juno, but if she falls, out enemy wakes. And that will be the end for all of us. You know this place. You can find it again. Cleanse out house. Stop this before it is too late._

Reyna pushed her wet hair out of her face, seeing her own breath in the cold. There were bumps of earth and rock surrounding them, seemingly growing as time went on. Shivering at the thought, she looked back to Lupa.

"Who am I?" She asked, her lips pressed together tightly. "Please- at least tell me that."

Lupa curled her lip, as if putting together an answer. _You're the attendant turned warrior, of course. Do not fail, daughter of Bellona._

* * *

Reyna woke up staring at a peeling blue ceiling.

Pulling herself up into a sitting position, she realized that she was in a bed. It was simple, with white sheets and a pillow. The room was small and void of decoration, with only enough room for the bed, dresser, and desk that were present. After she'd passed out, someone must have brought her back to the Big House.

A pile of clean clothes was stacked onto the dresser- an orange Camp Half-Blood shirt, a pair of black jeans, and some sneakers. As much as she needed a change of clothes, she was reluctant to take off her purple shirt. The gold SPQR was coated in blood, the sleeves stained with ichor. But it felt like a part of her, and she didn't want to give it up.

It's just a shirt, she reminded herself, and changed quickly.

Running a comb through her dark hair, she found a hairtie around her wrist and braided her hair down her back. It felt familiar, weaving the strands between each other, and was strangely comforting.

Glancing at herself in the mirror, Reyna didn't see her own reflection. Instead, it was a much younger girl, dressed nearly identical to how Piper had been yesterday after she'd been claimed. She wore a white dress, her hair braided with gold, flowers in her hair and jewelry.

Stepping back, she realized that it was her- but a much younger version.

Reyna shook her head, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and pushing open her door, heading out into the hall. As she started to head down the stairs, she noticed the one door at the end of the hallway, standing wide open.

She should have kept going down the stairs, but something in the room caught her eye. Backing up, Reyna slipped into the room.

Instantly, the smell of dirt and moss hit her. There was an old, rusty stool in the corner of the room, and seemed to be the only part of the room that wasn't covered in large tables. On every table were random bits and pieces- bent swords, burned shields, a scarf, an old baseball bat, and even a necklace.

In the very back, however, was a board filled with photos. There had to be at least a hundred pictures, each with a small white tag attached. They were packed with dust, as if nobody had looked at it in years.

Wiping off a photo revealed that it was a girl with dark hair and bright eyes. She looked like a mix between goth and badass- dark eyeliner, ripped jeans, and a letter jacket. Just glancing at it eerily reminded her of someone.

"That's Thalia," a voice spoke. Turning on her heel, she saw Percy standing in the doorway, a backpack slung over his shoulder. He didn't look mad that she was in here, to her surprise.

"I feel like I've seen her before." Reyna murmured.

"You might've. She's a Huntress of Artemis- a group of girls that travel around and fight monsters. Immortal forever and all that jazz." Percy explained, shrugging. "I'd guess you were from there, but they're not missing anyone."

Reyna pursed her lips, staring at the photo. Maybe it wasn't the girl that looked familiar, but the color of her eyes, the shape of her lips, the sharp cheekbones…

"What's her last name?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "She never used one. Her mother's was Grace, though."

Grace.

Jason Grace.

Reyna almost dropped the picture. Percy must have caught on, because he looked at her curiously. "What?"

It was strange. Just from seeing this picture of his sister, knowing his name- it felt like a switch had flicked on in her brain. She could see him clearly now, unlike in all of her dreams. He had close cropped blonde hair, electric blue eyes, and a very order-within-chaos personality.

Handing over the photo, she pressed her lips together into a thin line. "I know her brother. Jason. We were partners for… something. Something important."

Percy shook his head. "She doesn't have any siblings… But then again, I wouldn't know if she did. Thalia hated to talk about her life before camp."

The brunette nodded once. "I'm positive."

He just shook his head again. "You could be right." The son of Poseidon stepped into the room, looking out the mossy window. "I really wish everything could have waited to go haywire." He murmured.

Reyna agreed readily.

"Speaking of that, I had a dream last night." Despite the fact that she felt like she shouldn't trust Percy, she did it anyways, pushing away the feelings of hatred and contempt. They weren't important.

"Redwoods- that sounds like California. As for Lupa… I've never heard of her. She's not Greek, I can tell you that much. Bellona isn't Greek either, though." Percy mused, biting his cheek in concentration.

She sighed in frustration, placing her head in her hands. "Where am I even supposed to go?"

Percy looked over to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Follow the monsters. Don't worry too much about this quest, Reyna. I have a feeling that it's not your first, even if you can't remember the others."

She looked up, sighing. "The monsters- the wind spirits. They would have gone back to a wind god. Which one is the closest to New York?"

Percy thought about it for a moment. "Probably Boreas, in Quebec."

A spark sounded in Reyna, and she had to pause a moment to sense it. It was almost like hope- but much quieter. Glancing back at the photo, she set it down gingerly.

"Where is Thalia now, anyways?" She asked.

Just as his mouth opened, a loud roar cut him off, sending the Big House shaking and almost making them lose their balance. They met eyes, and before she knew it, they were racing out of the room and outside.

A bronze dragon a and a hoard of angry campers waited for them outside. The dragon was huge, with ruby red eyes and rows of sharp metal teeth. On his back was Leo, who was grinning crazily and holding on casually to the dragon, as if it were a van.

A Mars girl- Clarisse, according to the back of her leather jacket- held up a spear, glaring angrily at the dragon, as if it had offended her. "That thing is dangerous! We need to kill it now!"

"Stand down!" Reyna ordered, her voice sharp and demanding, like a drill sergeants. Despite the fact she'd only been at camp for a few hours, they seemed to listen to her, lowering their weapons. "Leo, what have you done?"

"I found a ride!" Leo told her, his crazy grin never faltering. "You said I could come if I got us a ride, remember? Well, I got us a top of the line, one of a kind, Class A flying dragon. Festus can take us anywhere."

Nyssa, who had been hidden in the crowd, stepped forward. "It- It has _wings._" She stammered, staring at the dragon in shock.

"Yeah. I found them and re-attached them." He answered quickly.

"Leo, it never had wings. Where did you find them?"

Reyna could have sworn that Leo looked guilty for a second, but it was replaced in seconds by his grin. "Uh, in the woods. I repaired his circuits, mostly, so there's not much of a chance of him running haywire anymore! Just a few more kinks to work out."

As if on queue, the dragon listed his head to the side, and black oil poured out, staining the front of Leo's ratty old shirt. He didn't look the slightest bit phased, shaking the grease out of his hair and laughing.

"How did you survive? I mean, the fire breath…" Nyssa trailed off, staring in awe.

He shrugged her off, avoiding the subject. "I'm lucky, and fast. Now, am I on this quest or what?" Wiping his hands off on his pants, Leo beamed at Reyna and Piper.

"You named him Festus?" Reyna asked, her eyebrow quirking. "That means 'Happy' in Latin. You want us to fly off to save the Queen of the Gods on Happy the Dragon?"

The dragon twitched, and Leo nodded. "That's a yes! We should go now, though- I have some stuff from the, uh, woods already. Besides, all the weapons are making him nervous."

"Leave? Already?" Piper asked, looking startled. "But we haven't planned anything yet-"

"Go," Percy interrupted, looking slightly amused, slightly somber. "You've got a ride, Reyna knows where you're headed, it's a good omen. Go."

Reyna took one last look at the camp, her eyes scanning the landscapes. She hated to leave so soon, but a part of her was relieved that she would be out and back into the open.

Shouldering her pack, she turned to Piper. "Ready?"

Piper nodded determinedly. "Of course. Let's go save Hera on Happy the fire-breathing Dragon!"

* * *

**A/N: I apologize that this chapter took so long. Not only did it delete completely on me, but I hated the beginning and re-started it 13 times. Hope you all enjoy it. Xx**


	9. IX

Flying on the dragon was a strange mix of terror and elation.

Looking down at the city of New York below them, Reyna wasn't sure if it made her want to keep looking over or hurl. Of course, that was the moment she remembered that she had an irrational fear of heights. She was doing her best to look at everything without making herself dizzy, but it wasn't the easiest task.

The dragon was the most amazing part. Up this high, they should have been icicles, but the bronze hide produced a protective heat bubble, keeping them warm. Leo was babbling on all about Festus, but it was mostly mechanical talk that had both Piper and Reyna lost in a few minutes. The only things she caught were the fact that there were harnesses to hold onto, chinks to place their feet so that they wouldn't fall off and die.

Leo, in the front, steered the dragon like a pro. Behind him was Piper, with Reyna in the back, knuckles white on the harness.

Much quicker than she would have preferred, they raced into a cloud, turning the sky into a deep grey. Leo grinned at them, obviously enjoying this.

"It's cool, right?" He asked.

"What happens if someone spots us?" Piper asked, concerned.

Reyna's eyes got glassy as she stared out at the clouds, her dark braid flying out behind her. "The Mist. Most mortals will look up and not even see anything. Some will see a small plane or something. There's a handful who would actually see a bronze dragon flying across the sky."

"You sure about that?" Leo asked.

"Of course." She murmured, before blinking, her eyes becoming more alert. "Maybe."

Looking up, she noticed Piper staring at her arm. Glancing down at her hand, she noticed that one had slipped off the harness and was running gently over the burned marks on her forearm. They felt familiar, like an old friend.

"Well, Festus is doing even better then I thought he would without a new disk. We should be there by tonight, even." Leo told them, facing ahead once again.

"Where are we going, anyways?" Piper asked, the question open to either Leo or Reyna.

She chose to answer. "To find Boreas, the god of the North Wind." She answered. "And to chase down some storm spirits."

* * *

An hour later, she was interrupted from her nausea by the sound of Leo and Piper talking.

Straightening back up, Leo caught her eye. "Speaking of that, what's the plan, boss?" His hands were twirling a piece of wire, knotting it over and over. Reyna noticed that he always seemed to be building something, especially lately. "We're like, catching wind or something? Or was it breaking wind?"

Piper rolled her eyes.

"We have to find Boreas. Percy said something about him being up North in Ontario. After that, he should tell us something about where those Venti went after went after the Grand Canyon-"

"Can we call them storm spirits?" Leo asked, making a face. "Venti makes them sound like some weird coffee thing we'd get."

Reyna glared at him, and he shrugged. "After we find them, we figure out who they work for. Then we can find where they're holding Jun-Hera and set her free."

"You want us to go look for Dylan on _purpose?_" Leo asked, raising his eyebrows. "Did you forget about the part where he threw me over the Grand Canyon, then tried to shove you and Piper off? And you still want to go hunt him down?"

"Pretty much."

Leo sighed in exasperation, "So that's our plan?"

"Yeah." Reyna agreed. "There might be some other things involved too- a wolf, who may or may not want to kill us." From there, Reyna re-told her dream about the house, where the wolves were guarding as if it was their duty.

"So you don't know where this mystical magical wolf place is?" Leo asked.

"Not a clue." She admitted.

"Not to mention, there is also the giants." Piper added, frowning. "The prophecy said _the giant's revenge."  
_"Hang on just a second." Leo said, turning around to face the two of them. "Giants? As in, more than one? Why can't it ever just be, like, one giant who wants revenge?"

"I doubt it." Piper said. "After all, in the Greek myt- er, stories, it was an entire army of giants born to oppose the gods one by one."

"So we get assigned the quest with the entire army? You know anything else about those giants? Didn't you do a bunch of Greek research and stuff when your Dad had that one movie going on?"

It was the times like this, when Leo or Piper would reference something from their past that she remembered just how much her memories had been messed with.

"Your dad's an actor?" Reyna asked, raising an eyebrow.

Leo laughed. "Amensia, right. I keep forgetting. Yeah, her dad is Tristan McLean."

" I don't know who I am," She reminded Leo, "Much less who anyone else is."

She didn't mean for her words to be bitter, but they came out that way. The Daughter of Bellona wished she could say differently, but she couldn't help it. Her memories had been stolen, she felt completely lost, and to make it all worse, she would receive major headaches after she felt a sense of déjà vu.

"It doesn't matter." Piper said simply. "The giants- well, there were a ton in Greek Mythology. But if I'm thinking of the right ones, they were bad news. Huge, almost impossible to kill. They could throw mountains, boulders, stuff like that. I think they were related to the Titans or something. They rose from the earth after Kronos lost the war- the first one, thousands of years ago- and they tried to destroy Olympus. If we're talking about the same giants-"

"When I talked to Chiron, he said it was happening again," Reyna remembered. "'The last chapter'. That's what he meant. No wonder he didn't want us to know all the details."

Glancing out at whatever city was below them, she couldn't tell if she was feeling dread, hope, or plain numbness. Her face remained smooth, like a parent trying not to freak out their child- like a leader.  
"So… A giant army, an amnesiac, maybe friendly wolves, and evil espresso drinks. Is this is bad time to bring up my psycho baby sitter?" Leo interrupted.

"Is this a joke?" Piper asked.

From there, Leo launched into a story from his childhood about a woman named Tia Callida, who was actually the goddess Hera. She was a truly crazy old woman who had been his babysitter for years when he was young, before he'd been forced in and out of foster homes. Then, he told them about the night his mother had died, burned to death in a fire from her workshop. He didn't look at them once, focusing on the sky ahead. Finally, he told them about a woman in earth robes, her eyes closed, who knew the future.

At the end of his story, Reyna had no idea what she should say. That sucks? Sorry? Before she could answer, a feeling of deep loss hit her- like she'd just lost all of her family, her friends. Blinking hard, she took a few moments to steady herself. Where had that come from? Was she really starting to lose her mind?

"That's… disturbing." Piper said, a great deal of time later.

"Sums it up nicely." Leo told her. "It's strange. Everyone's saying not to trust Hera. She hates demigods, and if we free her, she'll unleash a whole slew of death on everyone. So… why are we going to free her? Why are we doing any of this?"

"Because we were chosen." Reyna answered. "All of us. We're the first of the seven who will fulfill the Great Prophecy. This single quest is going to be the beginning of something that's a lot bigger."

Her head buzzed. In her head, she heard the words reverberated, only this time, she was younger, talking to only a single person. _We were chosen. We're the first quest of something that's going to be a lot bigger than just us._

She was glad that neither Piper of Leo could see her hold her head as the burst of pain went through her head.

"Besides, helping Hera is the only way she'll give me back my memory. That weird, dark spire in my dream seemed to be almost… feeding off her energy. If it unleashes a king of the giants by destroying Hera-"

"Not a good trade." Piper finished. "At least Hera is on our side- at least, mostly. Not having her would send the gods into a tailspin. She's the main one who keeps peace in the family. A war with the giants would be even more destructive than the titans."

Reyna nodded solemnly. "Chiron also talked about worse forces stirring on the solstice, with it being a good time for dark magic, like the something that would awaken if they sacrificed Hera. And the mistress who's controlling all these storm spirits, who wants all demigods dead-"

"Might be that weird-ass sleeping lady from my dream." Leo finished. "Dirt woman fully awake is not something I want to see."

Piper sighed, breaking the silence.

"Who is she, anyways? What does she have to do with giants?" She asked.

Nobody answered. The question hung in the air, as heavy as a bag of sand. Meanwhile, they had to be somewhere near Maine, traveling as high and fast as a plane. The sick feeling she had wasn't gone, but it was contained enough that when her eyes began to stick, she let herself fall asleep.

After all, with where they were going next, she had a feeling there was going to be very little sleep for any of them.

* * *

In her dream, Reyna was twelve years old.

She wore a torn and bloody white dress, her dark hair braided down her back. In her hand were two long daggers, which she held tightly. Standing beside her was another girl, obviously much older. However, she looked very similar- dark hair and eyes, sharp cheekbones, a wild look in her eyes.

The girl shoved a pile at Reyna- a shirt, pants, and a sturdy pair of shoes. "Change quickly. They'll be here soon. We can't let them find us again, or this time, we won't be able to escape."

Without another word, she changed. They were in an old clothing shop, a small fire burning in the corner. It was late at night, the sun gone and the moon high in the sky. After she'd been dressed comfortably, the young girl shed her old clothing to the fire.

"Good." The woman approved. "Listen to me, Reyna. We have to run, as fast as we can. If we can get to California, there is a place I can send you. Daughter of Bellona- they'll protect you. I'm too old, but I have a few ideas of where I can go. The Hunters, maybe."

Even though it was just a dream, she could feel a sense of panic, of absolute fear of whatever they were running from. Reyna nodded hurriedly.

"I love you, Rey. Now, c'mon. We've got to go, now."

The pair exited the shop and ran as far as they could, headed North. Passing by a street sign, she was able to gather that they were in Miami, Florida.

From there, they managed to sneak onto a bus headed westward. It wasn't until they were speeding forward, that the older girl's name came back to Reyna.

Her name was Hylla. How she knew her, though, was still gone.

As the dream began to fade, Reyna felt a sense of urgency. It couldn't leave- she had to see what happened, what Hylla had been talking about, what they were running from.

When she jerked awake, she told herself that she really needed to stop dreaming.

The sky was a bright blue, mixed with the sterling white of the clouds. It had begun to snow, the cold barely able to beat Festus's heat. Reyna's nose was pink, along with her cheeks and ears.

"Finally." Piper spoke, smiling slightly. "I thought you were dead or something."

Reyna shook her head, feeling a small smile tug up on the corners of her mouth. "We there yet?"

"Yeah, actually. I was just about to wake up Leo, since he's the only one who knows how to pilot Festus. He'd better not fall off, or something. I think there was a myth like that." Piper said.

As she turned to wake up Leo, Reyna adjusted the backpack she wore, before grabbing onto the handhold tightly. She didn't trust the dragon, and she definitely didn't like the heights.

A small castle appeared below the clouds, and she heard Leo's voice carry back. "Since you know so much, what is that castle down there?"

Piper smacked him. "A hotel, I think."

He looked down in disbelief. As they neared, however, it was obvious that it was in fact, a hotel. It was busy, despite not a single resident moving around. It was usual hotel staff- valets, bellboys, chauffeurs.

"The North Wind is staying in a hotel?" Leo asked, still stunned. "That isn't-"

That's when she was the angels, approaching with pissed off looks and sharp swords, a bad combination for anyone, especially demigods.

"We've got company!" Reyna called. Then, under her breath, "And of course, they probably want to kill us."

* * *

**A/N: I apologize again for taking so long. This week should be much sooner. Thank you all for the well wishes, I am doing much better now! I hope you like this chapter, it was mostly just setting up things for the entire quest. Love you all! Xx**


	10. X

From a distance, the angel boys looked a lot like Venti. However, as they approached, it was easy to tell that they were solid, and definitely not the storm spirits. Either way, they didn't look happy to see the three of them and their metallic dragon.

As they closed in, she noticed that they both had bright white hair, and wings the purple-y color of the mountains. They looked similar, but not identical, implying that the two were related in some way. They were complete opposites- one was huge, with black eyes, missing teeth, and hockey gear. The other looked like a mix between a high school popular boy, and Elvis. Each one held a bronze sword, scowls on their faces.

The hockey god grunted. "No clearance."

"'Scuse me?" Leo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't have a flight plan on file." The second god sounded much more leader-like, but he also had a horrid French accent, one that almost made Reyna groan. "This is restricted airspace."

"Destroy them?" The god asked. Compared to Leo, he was an Ox.

Festus began to hiss and steam, making noises that Reyna was partly sure only came from movies. Sliding her ring off her finger, she held it in her hand, ready to summon it at a moment's notice.

Before she could, Leo interrupted. "Hold up! Let's have some manners here, boys. Don't you think I should get the honor of knowing who's destroying me? I mean, what's glory without recognition?"

"I am Cal!" The ox told him, smiling wide enough to show his missing front teeth.

"That's short for Calais." The other supplied, casting a glare. "Sadly, my brother cannot say words with more than two syllables. This includes his own name."

"Pizza!" Cal chanted. "Hockey! Destroy!" Looking pleased, he glanced over the three of them, looking like his was concentrating hard. "I am Cal. And this is Zethes! My brother!"

"Whoa. That was almost three sentences, dude!" Leo congratulated.

"Stupid buffoon." Zethes muttered. "They make fun of you. I am the Zethes, short for Zethes. However, this young lady-" He winked at Piper, "May call me whatever she likes."

Piper gagged, and Reyna had to agree.

"That is a… truly horrifying offer."

"No problem." Zethes answered, smiling. "We are very romantic, we Boreads."

At the sound of his name, Reyna jolted. She'd heard it before, and she would bet her gold spear that they were related to the North Wind, exactly who they were trying to get a hold of.

"Boreads?" She asked. "As in, the sons of Boreas?"

"Ah, so you've heard of us!" Zethes looked at her in pleasure. "We are our father's gatekeepers. So you understand, we cannot have unauthorized people flying in his airspace on creaky dragons, scaring off the silly mortals."

As he pointed, she noticed that several of the mortals were looking up in annoyance, as if they were a parade balloon that floated up too high, and was now merely a nuisance.

"That, is why unless this is an emergency landing, we have to kill you painfully."

"Destroy!" Cal chanted again, much more enthusiastically.

"Wait!" Piper called. "This is an emergency landing!"

Cal frowned so deeply, that Reyna was sure that his mouth was going to be sore for the next week and a half.

Zethes looked Piper over, much less shamelessly than the first time. "How does the pretty girl decide this is an emergency?"

"We have to see Boreas. It's totally urgent. Please?" Piper still had the blessing of Aphrodite- her hair was still shiny and perfect, despite the winds. Her words were smooth, making Leo and the twins believe every word she said. For some reason, Reyna didn't seem to be in the same trance.

"Well… I hate to disappoint a lovely lady, you see, but my sister, she would have an avalanche if I allowed you three to-"

"And our dragon is malfunctioning!" She added. "It could crash at any minute!" Festus shuddered helpfully, dropping them a good ten feet, before leveling back up.

The pair sighed, and eventually gave in, taking off towards the tower with a simple request to follow after them. With a grin, Leo turned to look back at the pair of them.

"I love these guys! Should we follow them?" He asked.

Piper and Reyna wore a similar expression, which looked exhausted.

"I guess." Reyna finally spoke. "We're here now. But I'm not too eager to find out why Boreas hasn't been kind to visitors."

"Pfft, he hasn't met us, obviously!" Leo cheered. "Festus, follow the angels!"

* * *

Festus landed between two particularly threatening-looking icicles.

"This cannot be good." Reyna murmured, biting the inside of her cheek.

They had landed in what have been a penthouse suite, except it was completely frozen. The room was long and huge, with drapes, paintings, and decoration adorning every corner of the room. The rugs looked like they were made of real fur, and the windows were coated in ice to hide the sun, and every inch was covered in razor-sharp ice.

"Guys, fix the thermostat issue in here, and I would totally move in." Leo broke the silence.

"Not me." Reyna murmured, noticing the staircase in the corner. "Something feels wrong about this place. Up there."

Festus shuddered behind them, throwing flames.

"No, no, no!" Zethes scolded, marching over to the dragon. "The dragon has to be deactivated. We cannot have fire in here! The heat ruins my hair."

Festus made a noise that sounded suspiciously like growling. "S'okay, boy." Leo calmed. "The dragon is a little touchy about the whole deactivation topic. But I've got a better solution."

Pressing a button on the dragon, it instantly began to fold in on itself, like folding up a larger, much heavier cardboard box. The wings collapsed, the neck shrunk in, and suddenly, there was a million pound bronze suitcase.

"One more thing- aha." Hitting another button, wheels popped out on the suitcase, and Leo nodded, obviously pleased. "Ta-da! The worlds heaviest carry on bag."

Reyna's jaw dropped. "That's impossible. Something that big couldn't just-"

"Stop!" Zethes interrupted. Both of the gods drew their swords and pointed them at Leo, like he had attempted to pickpocket the pair when they weren't looking.

Leo held up his hands. "Okay, you got me… what exactly did I do? Keep calm, I don't have to take the dragon as a carry on if that makes you uncomfortable."

"Who are you?" Zethes demanded, the point of his blade on Leo's throat. "A child of the South Wind, spying on us?"

"What? No! I'm a child of Hephaestus. Friendly blacksmith, no harm to anyone!"

Cal growled, grabbing Leo's shirt and getting into the demigod's face. "I smell fire." He stated, narrowing his eyes. "Fire is bad."

Reyna felt Piper tense beside her, ready to go and free Leo from the hockey god's grasp. She would go right alongside her, but she also knew that the gods would not be so willing to let them go at that point.

" Oh." Leo murmured. "Yeah, well… my clothes are kind of singed, obviously. I've been working with oil and stuff on Festus-"

"No!" Zethes interrupted, angrily. "We can smell fire, demigod. We assumed it was the dragon, but now it is a suitcase. And we still smell the fire…on you."

"Hey, look… I don't know," He said, holding up both hands. "Reyna, Piper, a little help here?"

Reyna already had her ring in hand, ready to turn it at a moment's notice. "Look, there's been a mistake. Leo's dad is the fire guy, not him. Tell them, Leo. Tell them you aren't the fire guy."

"Uh…" Leo replied smartly.

"Zethes?" Piper called, flashing a dazzling smile. Underneath the falsehood, however, Reyna could see the daughter of Aphrodite's hands shaking in her jacket, from a mix of cold and fear. "We're all friends here. Put down the spear and let's talk."

"The girl is pretty." Zethes stated. "And of course, she cannot help being attracted to my amazingness; but sadly, I cannot romance her at this time." His sword didn't move from Leo's throat, which was starting to turn red.

"Destroy him now?" Cal asked.

"Sadly, I think-"

Before the god could finish, Reyna interrupted him. "No." She insisted. Her voice was one of a scolding teacher- calm on the surface, but ready to fight as soon as needed. "Leo's just a son of Hephaestus. He's not a threat. Piper here is a daughter of Aphrodite. I'm the daughter of Bellona. We're on a quest to save Hera…"

She trailed off when she noticed the looks they were giving her. In fact, they seemed to have completely disregarded Leo, as the sword had fallen away from his neck.

"What did you say, daughter of Bellona?" Zethes asked.

"We're on a quest to save Hera. That's a good thing, right? My name's Reyna." Glancing at the pair of them, they seemed to be having a silent conversation, reading each other's facial expressions.

"Destroy?" Cal asked, one final time.

"No." Zethes said, almost regretfully. "If she is the daughter of Bellona, she could be the one we have been waiting for."

"Waiting for?" Leo interrupted, raising an eyebrow. "Like in a good way, like hey, let's throw her a party! Or in a bad way, like she's in trouble?"

Reyna wanted to smack him for drawing the attention back to himself. Before she could, another voice joined the group, causing them all to turn their heads.

"That depends on my father's will." The girl was deathly pale, with dark hair and brown eyes. She looked directly at Leo, her expression one of uttermost coldness. That was the best way to describe the girl- cold.

"Father will want to see the one called Reyna." She spoke.

"Then it is her?" Zethes asked, suddenly excited.

"We'll have to see." Looking at him, she wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Zethes, bring out guests."

Leo instantly grabbed the suitcase, beginning to roll it after them. Before he could take even a step, she was on him, making Reyna wince with sympathy.

"Not you, Leo Valdez."

"Why not?" He argued.

"You cannot be in the presence of my father. Fire and ice… it would not be wise."

Stepping forward, she put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "We go together, or not at all." Reyna didn't want them to be separated, especially in the ice castle where so many things could go wrong.

Tilting her head, the girl made a face, like she wasn't used to having her orders usurped. "He will not be harmed, Reyna Avalia Ramirez Arellano, unless you make trouble. Calias, keep Leo Valdez here. Guard him, but do not kill him."

Cal looked like a kicked puppy. "Please?"

"No." The girl insisted. "And take care of his interesting suitcase."

Looking to Piper, they silently exchanged looks. Both of them wore an expression, this time saying 'what do we do about this?' Before they could find a solution, Leo butted in.

"It's fine, guys. Go with her. I won't cause any trouble unless I have to. Go ahead."

"Listen to your friend." The girl purred. "Leo Valdez will be perfectly safe. I wish I could say the same for you, daughter of Bellona. Now come. The King Boreas is waiting."

* * *

**A/N: I promise you guys, a double update is coming up soon! I would do it tonight, but I'm afraid it's well past midnight and I have school tomorrow. Hope you like this chapter! Xx**


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